Location: Cusco region of Peru
Recommended by Tori of Tori Pines Travel
How do I know it’s ethical?
The llamas are wild and are free to roam wherever they’d like to. They are not placed there or controlled. The guides along the Inca Trail are trained to ensure the land and animals are respected.
Description of the Experience
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a bucket list opportunity for many reasons, and one of the best parts is spotting the wild llamas along the way. Llamas are native to South America and are a relative to the camel. They became incredibly important to the Incan culture hundreds of years ago during the Incan Empire. The Incan people used them to haul goods, and the hair to create clothing. While they are still largely used this way in the rural areas of Peru, you can still find many wild llamas throughout the Andes Mountains along your hike.
Hiking the Inca Trail is typically a 4-day, 3-night adventure. You must book a tour to hike the trail, as you are required to have an officially licensed and trained guide. The guides will ensure that you are safe, but they also guide you along the trail and ensure the land, ruins, and animals are respected and cared for along the way.
Alternatively, you can take the 1 day or 2-day hike along the Inca trail. There aren’t as many tour options for this length, but it is a good option if you cannot handle difficult hiking terrain, as the last 2 days are the easiest and are where the majority of the llamas live.
During the last 2 days, you will be hiking through the Amazon cloud forest. The landscape is breathtaking here, filled with lush greenery, massive mountains topped with snow, and ancient Incan ruins. It’s here that you’re likely to run into the wild llamas. They’re usually hanging out throughout the mountains along the trail, and then there will be many living in Machu Picchu, at the end of the trail.
Keep your eyes peeled and you should spot them munching on the grass along the way. They’re extremely calm animals and won’t seem to even notice that you’re there. Be sure to keep a distance out of respect for them, and safety for you as they are still wild animals.
Company/ Cost:
There are many companies that will take you on the hike. I hiked the Inca Trail with G Adventures and it was an incredible experience. The tour guide was from the area and had hiked the trail over 200 times. He spoke perfect English and was extremely knowledgeable about the history, the land, and the animals. G Adventures only offers the classic 4-day hike, and it will cost $699-$759 depending on the dates. However, for an even better value, select a longer tour that also includes Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley, an eight-day tour for $1,100 to $1,500 depending on the dates and if they are running a sale.


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This is one post on a series of ethical animal tourism posts by travel content creators. The experiences cover all seven continents and a variety of animals. Ensure that your animal experience is an ethical one.
Learn More About Ethical Animal Tourism
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